


Dark Rides & Bunny Hops

by OfMonstersAndWerewolves



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Amusement Parks, Crushes, F/F, Fluff, Mild Language, Minor Alice | Tilly & Wishverse Captain Hook | Detective Rogers, Nausea, Single Rider AU, Theme Park AU, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20386255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfMonstersAndWerewolves/pseuds/OfMonstersAndWerewolves
Summary: Robin Mills hates rollercoasters. Alice Jones loves them.Robin's day isn't quite going according to plan. Somehow, she's found herself in the queue for the fastest, most intense rollercoaster in the park. But then she catches the eye of a young woman in the single rider queue.Maybe the day will end up worthwhile after all.





	Dark Rides & Bunny Hops

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first proper AU fic I've done!
> 
> This AU is based partly on a Tumblr post that spread around a while back regarding single riders being paired up at theme parks. I don't know how popular or well known, if at all, the idea became, but I thought I'd have a go at writing one myself anyway.
> 
> I've rated it G for now, just because even though there is some swearing, it's relatively mild for the most part and I didn't think there was enough of it to really constitute a T rating.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Robin Mills hated rollercoasters.

There, she admitted it. She hated them. In the two decades she'd been alive, not once had she enjoyed a ride on a rollercoaster. The twists, the turns, the... going-upside-downs. Couldn’t stand them. Fair props if you could enjoy them but, all in all, she just couldn't get the hype for them.

So when her friends had said they were driving up to a theme park that weekend, she’d agreed to join them only under the assumption that she'd be able to wander round the zoo area or venture onto some of the tamer rides, like the log flume or rapids.

And yet here she was. In the queue for what was apparently the fastest, most intense rollercoaster in the park. And Robin was currently contemplating her life choices up to this point.

Her friends were in front of her, chatting amongst themselves. She hoped they just hadn’t noticed how much she really didn’t want to be there, but she had a sneaking suspicion they were ignoring her. 

They hadn't pressured her... exactly. Well, they hadn't really done it directly anyway. But their disapproving looks and snide remarks at Robin's hesitancy had bored their way into her mind and so, begrudgingly, she'd followed them into the queue.

She glanced around. There was no way back; she’d already realised the path was too narrow by this point for her to easily slip passed and they were too near the front now anyway. She was currently trying her very best to distract herself from the inevitable, but wasn't having much luck given her surroundings. 

It didn't help that words like _‘Extreme!’_ and _‘Intense!’_ were plastered all over the walls in edgy fonts. What’s more, being in the queue seemed to have amplified the roar of the rollercoaster, leading the noise to pound within her head as it flew passed by her left side again. 

The screams weren't exactly comforting either.

In her anxious state, her eyes cast around swiftly, this way and that, looking for something – anything – that could calm her down. She moved forward with the rest of the line and glanced to the front, to see the next set of people dispatching. She scanned the area, until she caught eyes with a young woman at the front of the other queue, the one for the single riders, and looked away again in embarrassment. 

As if she wasn’t ashamed enough. The woman could probably see she didn't want to be there and she hated it. Hated how scared she was. Hated how self-conscious she felt. She was quite cute too, which only made it worse.

This wasn't her. She didn't usually feel this vulnerable. She could do this. Look, there were people way younger than her getting off, and they were fine. She’d be fine. She could do this.

She couldn't do this.

The attendant had now opened the gate to allow access to the loading area. Robin reluctantly followed her friends through, her anxiety spiking again as she realised she had no one to sit next to, the other four having already paired up.

“Can I swap with one of you guys?” she asked them, as her friends got to their respective loading gates.

“Why?” one said. “We've got plans for the photos. Besides, it's only a few minutes long, it's not the end of the world. You'll survive.”

Robin’s jaw clenched and she silently grit her teeth. 

The next train dispatched and a staff member came down, before indicating to one of her colleagues there was a place spare. The gate for the second queue opened to let the next single rider through and Robin’s eyes widened in horror as the young woman she'd locked eyes with before came to stand beside her.

After what seemed like an excruciatingly long and probably awkward time, the train eventually came back into the station. Robin took a deep breath, watching as the previous riders exited onto the other side.

Then the loading bay gates slowly began to open.

“Come on, Robin. You’re holding everyone up.”

The other four were already sat down by the time, with trembling hands, Robin had plucked up enough courage to be able to deposit her bag in one of the lockers on the other side of the station.

As she sat down in the seat, she felt her heart beating so fast she wondered whether it was going to burst out of her chest. 

“First time?”

Robin blinked, realising the voice had come from the other woman beside her. “Huh?”

“Is it your first ride on this coaster?”

It took Robin a few seconds for her mind to catch up with her ears and discern what had just been said, distracted by everything from her anxiety to the woman’s voice.

Her accent was British. Something like cockney, although she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable on British accents to be entirely sure.

“Uh, yeah. It is.” She swallowed.

“Not me. I love it! I've been on it so many times since they refurbished it, and plenty before too. Though it doesn't feel as intense on that last banking now. Then again the lift hill doesn't jerk as much...”

She trailed off at that, though Robin hadn't really been listening, partly because she was scared shitless, partly because she had no idea what she was talking about. “I haven’t been on many.”

“My papa’s the same. He said,” – she cleared her throat - “ ‘Aye Alice, I'll take you to this theme park but you’re still not getting me on any of those rollercoasters'. I keep trying to convince him but he's stubborn like that."

A guy with the park's logo on his shirt came and checked their restraints, giving a thumbs up to his colleague in the booth to the right of the track once he'd done.

Well, that was it. There was no way of escaping now. She was in way too deep.

“Woohoo!” came Alice's voice, her hands already flailing around in the air as they set off from the station and started their terrifying ascent.

* * *

The ride wasn't too long: a few minutes if that. But Alice still had the absolute time of her life.

As the train came back into the station, adrenaline coursing through her veins, Alice glanced over at Robin beside her and she immediately dropped the wide grin she’d been sporting. 

The other girl had gone pale, her hands gripping the shoulder restraints so tightly her knuckles were white. More importantly, it looked as though she were trying her very best not to throw up.

“Are you ok?” Alice asked tentatively. She could have kicked herself for asking such a daft question, given she already knew the answer, but she hadn't really known what else to say.

The train lurched to a stop. As the restraints lifted up, Alice helped hastily guide Robin on to the platform and brought her outside, passed the queue for the photos, and down onto the nearest bench, all the while Robin was hunched over clutching her abdomen, willing herself not to succumb to her nausea.

“Want a bottle of water? My papa’s holding my bag somewhere but if we find him, I could buy you one”

“I've got my own,” Robin answered groggily, before she noticed the absence of her bag. “Where's-"

“Oh, we didn't get your bag! Stay there, I'll go get it.” She leaped up to her feet like a gazelle and Robin, even in her disoriented state, wondered how the girl could be as agile as she was having just endured the ride they'd just been on. “It's the one with the foxes on it, yeah?”

A barely discernible mutter and nod gave Alice the confirmation she needed, and so she turned and raced back up the path they'd just come from. As she ran back passed the photo stall, she didn’t notice Robin’s friends walking down, laughing at their expressions and poses on the photos they’d bought. They stopped just outside the exit, next to a sign with the map of the park on it, having seemingly forgotten about their absent companion. But eventually, Robin heard one of them mention her name.

“Oh, there she is.”

They wandered over to her, seemingly unfazed by her current state.

“You coming with us or what?”

So caught up in her friend’s words, whilst still simultaneously forcing herself to not vomit all over everything, it didn't register to Robin that Alice had returned until she spoke again. “Here’s your bag.”

The look on her friend's face at Alice's appearance reminded Robin of that one time she’d seen her step in that cow pat, and she had a sudden yearning to see it happen several times more.

“Coming?” By the tone of her voice, her friend didn't seem particularly bothered whether she came with them or not. “Oh, come on Robin, it wasn’t that bad! Here look at this.” She shoved her photo in her face. “We're going on that other one we passed. Maybe you'll handle that one better. **Your** photo was hilarious.”

In that moment, she would have happily thrown up over her ‘friend’ and her precious photo. Well, maybe not _happily_. But if she had to empty her stomach, wiping that smug smirk off her friend’s face would alleviate at least some of the embarrassment.

“I’ll catch up with you later.” Alice looked at her then, though she didn't notice.

“Suit yourself,” her friend said, before all four of them sauntered off with barely a backwards glance.

Alice waited until Robin finished taking a sip of the water before she spoke.

“You feeling any better?” Robin shook her head as best she could, the motion briefly making the ground spin under her. “Want anything? The toilets are just around the corner.”

“I'll be fine. I think.” She sighed. “Why the hell did I go on that thing?” she muttered to herself. 

“Well, I guess it could have been worse.”

“How can anything be worse than that?!”

“This one's only got 3 inversions. I've been on one with 7.” Robin’s eyes shifted around before looking up at her in confusion. “It goes upside down three times"

Robin's eyes widened.

“It's quite smooth too. Some of the older ones are brutal - you get battered like a ragdoll. Yeah, can be really rough some of ‘em.”

“That’s smooth?!”

“Feel any aching anywhere? In your muscles?”

“Besides my stomach,” – she breathed in deeply and her other hand reached up to her forehead to steady herself – “feeling like it's done twists? I don't think so.”

Alice briefly nodded as though she expected that answer, before shaking her head as she said, “It's not rough.” 

Eventually, once Robin had recovered enough to move, they moved to sit on one of the picnic benches near the park's drop tower, Alice at one side, Robin at the other. Alice reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, the only thing she’d kept with her when her papa had taken her bag with him. He’d told her he intended to wander round to the adjacent themed land whilst he waited for her to finish and to send him a message when she’d been on, something she now did.

“You say your name was Alice, right?” Robin asked, when her dizziness at least had subsided enough.

Alice looked up from her phone. Her demeanour softened as she placed the phone down on the table and answered, smiling a little. “Yeah. Yours is Robin, isn't it?”

Robin nodded.

“I did smile at you when I realised you were looking at me,” Alice continued. “But you turned your head so quickly I don't think you saw.”

“Sorry about that. I was...” She sighed in defeat. There was no use in denying it now. “Well, I was nervous. I wasn't really thinking straight at all, so I’m sorry if I was rude.”

“Nah, don't worry about it. I'm not used to much human interaction myself,” she said. “So, I guess you're not really a big fan of rollercoasters then?”

“I hate them. I never enjoyed them, even when I was a kid.”

“Why did you go on that one then?”

There was a pause. Robin didn't quite know how to answer. The reason felt a little silly now, the more she thought of it.

“I don’t know. My friends were going on and I… I guess I thought if they were, I should too. It seems kind of daft, but-”

“Have your friends been on it before?”

Robin shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“I’d have thought if they had they’d have not had you come on with them.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “No! No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that, that coaster is anything but a beginner’s.” 

Before Robin could remark back, Alice's attention became distracted by the arrival of another figure to the table, who dropped a paper bag in front of them, its enticing aroma wafting through to their noses.

“There you are, Starfish. Your backpack, m'lady.” He held the bag out for Alice to take it and Robin noticed his prosthetic arm as he did so.

“Hi Papa!” Alice took her bag off him and gestured behind her. “This is Robin.”

“Nice to meet you Robin.” He didn't comment how Alice knew her and Robin figured she must have mentioned the incident to him in the texts she said she'd sent him, and the feeling of shame made it's way back again. His next words confirmed it. “Believe me, you're certainly braver than me with rollercoasters at any rate. You couldn't get me on one for all the rum in the world,” he said, before turning his attention to his daughter. “Hungry? I’d already got these burgers by the time I got your message so I’ve only got enough for two of us. But Robin’s free to have mine, if she feels any better.”

“Oh, no it’s fine. You don't have to-"

“It's ok, I’d been hoping to try some fish at that restaurant in the pirate themed area anyway.”

“Are you sure?-”

“Yes Robin, I'm certain. Any friend of my daughter is a friend of mine”

‘Friend’ was perhaps a strong word, given she’d only really just met her, but the gesture was appreciated nonetheless. There was still a sliver of guilt in her mind, but the more she thought about it, the hungrier she felt, and the scent of the food in front of her wasn't helping.

“Ok, but I'm paying you back, Mr-”

“-Jones.”

“Thanks Papa,” Alice said.

“I'll meet up later, Starfish,” he told her, smiling before turning to head off behind him.

The two women sat, eating and chatting about various things. It turned out they were the same age, though Alice was ever so slightly older.

Robin found herself drawn to this girl. There was something about her, something she couldn't quite figure out. Now that some time had passed and her stomach had settled, she was able to see Alice fully for the first time. 

Her blonde hair hung loose up to her shoulders and a red and black flannel shirt was wrapped around her waist. She had a smile that very rarely appeared to leave her face and she gave off a friendly aura, as well as something Robin sensed might have been a bit of a gay vibe, though there was a good chance that might have just been wishful thinking.

But her eyes seemed to be the most mesmerising of all and Robin found she kept getting lost in them when she talked. God, she was a walking cliche! Admitting to herself she was harbouring a crush for a woman she'd literally met only an hour ago was bad enough. But this?

She didn't even know whether Alice even liked girls. Let alone her.

She ate, letting her thoughts wander, and as she swallowed the last bit of burger, she noticed a curious object swinging from around her companion’s neck.

“Is that a chess piece?”

“What? Oh, this?” she said, grasping the rook hanging on a chain round her neck. Now that Robin could see it more clearly, she noticed it was a little smaller than a regular chess piece and it looked handcarved; the base wasn’t precisely rounded and small scratches lined the edges.

“I’ve never seen a necklace with a chess piece on it before. I like it.”

“Thanks." For a second Robin could have sworn she saw a blush, but it was probably just her imagination. “My papa gave it to me when I was little. I made him one too. His is a knight.”

For the next twenty minutes or so, the two women talked, the topic of conversation meandering from the weather to favourite songs and then to the best coffee shops in the nearby area. But now Alice had veered them back onto the subject of rollercoasters, and was passionately informing Robin on her personal favourite aspects to them.

“You get some brilliant airtime on the invert over that way.” She pointed in the direction over Robin's shoulders. “But they don't even have to be intense. Some of the best I’ve ever been on are family coasters.”

Robin still had no idea what half of the words Alice was saying meant, even after she tried explaining them, but she talked with such energy that Robin found she didn't really mind. She was content just listening to the enthusiasm she had over it and trying her very best to follow what she could.

“But my favourites are the bunny hops - they're the little hills you get on rollercoasters, when it feels like you're flying. One after another. Flying, falling, flying, falling.”

Robin found herself smiling with her in spite of herself and when Alice caught her eye she broke eye contact as quickly as it had occurred, glancing down.

“Feeling any better?” she heard.

Robin nodded. “Much better. Don't think the lack of food helped my nerves. Or the nausea.”

“So, where do you want to go?”

Robin looked into her eyes then. “You want to... go with me?”

Alice’s face sank a little. “Oh, well if you don't want me to-”

“No, no! I don't mind. I'm just surprised.” She leaned forward a little. “I was actually hoping I could go on the rapids, maybe the carousel or those dodgems by the entrance.”

Alice’s face lit up, a crooked grin forming. “So what are we waiting for?”

“But don’t you want to do all these rollercoasters?”

“I’ll have chance to go on them another day. Besides I’ve been on most of ‘em before, come on!

* * *

For the next few hours, Alice and Robin ventured around the front section of the park: enjoying the stalls, bashing into each other on the dodgems and heading onto the rapids ride.

Robin felt elated. The day wasn't going exactly how she’d thought it would, but she was certainly happy with the way things had turned. More than happy in fact. She couldn't recall the last time she'd had this much fun at a theme park before.

After getting utterly drenched on the log flume, the two women began to wander round the zoo area to dry off. 

“See, this is what I hoped I’d be able to do when I got here. But my friends had other ideas.”

“I don’t really have many friends. It's mostly just me and Papa.”

“People don't know what they're missing,” she commented before she could stop herself. “Least you can go on rides without feeling sick. You must think I'm a bit pathetic really.”

Alice came to a stop and brushed her hand over Robin's arm. “Why would I think that?”

“Well, being scared of rollercoasters – not exactly the cool thing is it?”

“Cool? Why would you wanna be cool?”

Robin opened her mouth to speak, but a hesitancy took a hold and nothing came. Now she thought about it, she couldn’t really give her an answer. Not really. Why did she want to be seen as cool? There were other things she hid from those around her, including her friends, the very people she wanted to impress with her ‘coolness’. The idea of doing any of this with the friends she’d arrived with seemed almost alien to her. It was strange hearing someone view the concept of being ‘cool’ like it wasn’t some kind of expectation. It took her back a little.

Maybe Alice just hadn’t found the right friends yet.

Maybe _she_ hadn’t.

“The first rollercoaster I went on I panicked.”

The sudden statement from the other woman snapped Robin from her train of thought. They began to walk on again.

“Really?”

Alice nodded. “Yeah. Then I went on more and now I love them. But they're not for everyone and I would **never** think you're pathetic for not liking them or feeling too scared to ride them. In fact I'll tell you a secret.” She leaned in closer, causing Robin's heart to start thumping a little louder in her ears. “I don't like the teacups.”

“You mean the spinning teacups ride?”

“Yep. They make me dizzy.”

“Really? So what's your favourite bit of the park, anyway?”

“Come on, I'll show ya" 

Alice motioned her hand out and Robin gladly took it.

* * *

“Huh, Robin Hood.”

Alice had brought them through into one of the themed lands they hadn’t been to yet and they now stood beside a wooden rollercoaster. Though to be honest, everything in the area seemed to be themed with wood.

“Favourite coaster here,” she said. “The ride itself's not ground-breaking, but I love the theming. And the area too”

Robin glanced over the sign by the side.

“’Rob the rich to feed the poor’. There's some people today who could do with listening to that. Could do with a Robin Hood these days.”

“How ‘bout you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah! You’ve got the first name for a start, you both have the same... socialist tendencies. You'd be great!” 

“I've never even shot an arrow!”

“A work in progress then.”

Robin relented at that, and the two of them went for a wander round the land, buying a waffle each in the crude shape of Robin Hood himself. But beyond the slightly half-assed waffles, Alice was right. Between the rare lack of corporate advertising in this section of the park, the many trees and other woodland flora planted in the area, and the many actors masquerading as the Merry Men roaming around and interacting with everyone, if Robin focused, if she really relaxed, she could pretend they really were in Sherwood Forest, the worries of the modern world behind her, living the life of a swashbuckling hero and making the world a better place. At least just for a brief while. Fully immersed in the land that had been created.

“We named a lot of stuff after him,” Alice continued. “Obviously he's known for Sherwood Forest, but there's Robin Hood's bay - even an airport! Who names an airport of all things after Robin Hood?!

“Robin Hood's bae? Isn't that Maid Marian?”

Alice giggled, rolling her eyes before lightly nudging her a little, bringing a blush to Robin's cheeks. “Hmm... funny. And I guess, if you’re gonna be the next Robin Hood, it's whoever you want it to be.”

Robin chuckled softly. “That's nobody at the moment.”

With Robin's head down, she didn't notice Alice’s glance towards her in response, nor the subtle bite of her bottom lip as she tore her gaze away again.

“Me neither.” Her smile momentarily left her face, replaced by a slight frown. “My ex was all me, me, me. It was almost like I didn't exist half the time. Only when I was useful.”

“Sounds like he was a bit of a dick.”

There was a brief pause before Alice next commented. “She was.”

Robin had to stop herself from being blatantly obvious at how pleased she was to hear Alice use that pronoun. So she did like girls.

“I've never been in a relationship. Not because I don't want one, I’m just – I’m gay too, but I’m not out to many people. So I haven’t really had much chance,” she explained. “I mean, unless you're bi - or pan! Shouldn't have assumed there.”

This time it was Alice's turn to hide her hope and excitement. Though she was very much sympathetic to the other woman's situation.

“It's ok Robin. I’m gay too.” She smiled at her in reassurance. “Have you been here before?”

“Once, when I was about 8 or 9. My mum took me,” she answered. “I don't think I ever paid attention to this part of the park, though. Least I can't remember it.”

“Well if you only came as a kid, you won't have. This bit’s new.” She smiled. “Did you have a favourite part of the park, then?”

“It is from when I was a kid, you know.”

She shrugged. “Yeah. I heard ya.”

“Ok then. I’ll show you.” In a moment of impulsive courage, she held her bent arm out to the side to suggest to Alice she could take it. “May I?”

Alice hooked her arm through Robin’s. “You may. Lead the way, Lesbian Robin Hood,” Alice replied, winking.

* * *

Robin was taking her to a corner of the park Alice realised she very rarely went to. It was a big park, so it wasn’t entirely strange, but she was still surprised at the realisation of how little she came to the area. That is until she turned a corner and Rapunzel’s tower came into view.

A shiver ran through Alice's spine. The visible shake of her head alerted Robin to her discomfort and the young woman shyly brought her hand up behind Alice as though to rest a reassuring palm on her back, before dropping it at the last second and swinging both arms out in front of her instead. She opted for a question.

“You ok?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Robin wasn't convinced but decided not to press further, deciding that whatever it was, it wasn’t her business to know.

They carried on down the path, taking a sharp right around a hedge to find what looked to be a giant tree overlooking the area. At its base was an entrance, themed to look like the entrance to a burrow of a rabbit or fox.

A sign above this entrance gave its name: ‘Down the Rabbit Hole'.

“Alice in Wonderland,” Alice said, placing a hand on the ‘tree'. “I remember now. This is that dark ride, isn't it?”

“Yeah,” Robin replied back. In truth, she'd never heard of the term ‘dark ride‘ before, but she figured she had a good idea what one likely was and that this probably was one.

They stepped through the rabbit hole into a darkened corridor beyond, making their way down further into the ride’s hub. The walls were littered with strange items, everything from globes to a big mirror and a smell pod had clearly been set up to give off the scent of musty, wet earth and soil.

Eventually they reached the loading bay, where a line of vehicles, all themed after various playing cards, were waiting or being dispatched along the ride. A jaunty, slightly chaotic music track played in the background.

It was quite empty currently, practically walk-on, and Alice gleefully jumped into the next cart, quickly dropping her bag beside her feet and Robin followed suit. They were in the 2 of hearts.

Traveling along in that playing card decorated vehicle, they passed various scenes of the book: the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar, the crochet game with the Queen. But Alice's favourite seemed to be the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Most of the animatronics were old, certainly, but there was a certain charm to it that Robin liked, even now.

Even though Robin couldn't see her face, she could sense Alice was at least a little entranced. It was all very enchanting.

Robin shifted her glasses back up her nose, her hand brushing against Alice's own as she put it back down on the bar holding them in. Both women quickly tugged their hand away and muttered embarrassed apologies to the other. Robin was quite glad it was dark, so her subsequent blush from the contact was hidden from Alice’s vision.

A minute or so later and the vehicle came to a stop and the two exited, Alice hopping out and turning towards Robin.

“Little you had taste. I love it.”

* * *

As it got later, Robin soon realised she had about an hour, give or take, before she needed to meet back up with her friends. But she didn't mention it quite yet for fear of dampening the atmosphere between them. As the two passed back into the Robin Hood themed area, Robin noticed Alice glancing at the coaster and insisted she go on it.

Whilst Alice waited to ride, Robin wandered over to some nearby stands, noticing the mock archery sets they had available at one stall.

About half an hour or so later and Alice skipped from the exit path and cast her eyes round, spotting Robin a little ways away.

She approached and, seeing the object Robin was holding, Alice's hand fell to her heart. 

“Is this for me?”

“Yeah. I wanted to thank you for spending time with me today." 

“Oh, it was nothing, Robin. I've loved hanging out with you.” Her eyes were visibly beginning to well up a little now, and she subtly tried to wipe one of them with a finger, trying to laugh it off as she did so. “Something in my eye, sorry. You didn't have to do this.”

The look on Alice's face set Robin's heart aflutter. 

“Neither did you. And also I thought, if I'm gonna be the next Robin Hood, I need to know my way around a bow and arrow.” She held out the stuffed rabbit toy and Alice took it. “Looks like I’m already not too bad.”

“Thank you Robin.”

Her arms embraced Robin in a tight hug that sent butterflies tumbling into Robin's stomach.

“Hey, I didn’t want to say anything yet,” she said as they both pulled away. “But I've kinda got to meet back up with the others. We'll be setting off back in about half an hour.”

The grin Alice had been sporting fell from her face almost instantaneously. “Oh,” was all she said.

“But it's ok!” Robin said as they started walking back. “I mean, do you have any social media?”

A tight-lipped smile formed on Alice's face and she shook her head. “No, I don't. It's not really my thing. But I can give you my number! If you want,” she added quietly.

“Sure.”

Sometime later, having got distracted by various different things and both secretly wanting to delay their parting for as long as possible, the two were now just before the main entrance.

“I'd love to see you again,” Alice said, pulling back from their hug.

“Yeah, me too. To see you – not myself, obviously. That... wouldn't make any sense,” she said with a small laugh and Alice giggled back.

“Guess I'll see you round, then.”

“Yeah,” she said, though neither of them made any movement to turn away. Then Robin seemingly broke through her trance and looked at her watch. “I’d better get going. I’m already late.”

As she walked away, she turned back, waving, but Alice had already gone.

* * *

“Finally!”

“Sorry, something came up.”

Her friends were lounging about on the fountain outside the entrance to the park when Robin neared.

“You're nearly twenty minutes late. The traffic’s gonna be a nightmare now.”

“Hey, look I said I'm sorry, ok. Can we just get going?”

“Yeah, well maybe next time don't abandon us and wander off by yourself ‘cause next time I’ll just leave you.”

Robin looked at her, perplexed. “I abandoned you? Not one of you asked me how I was or checked to see if I was ok. I might as well have not existed on that rollercoaster, cause you were so busy with those damn photos.”

“God, you’re ridiculous,” her friend muttered, shaking her head.

“Really? Cause it didn’t seem like you were being especially sympathetic.”

“For what, Robin?! Whoopdie-do, you felt a bit sick. Get over it. Just because you managed to convince some other gullible woman to roll over and feel sorry for you, doesn’t mean that we will.”

Robin clenched her jaw and glared at the other woman in front of her. “Don’t talk about Alice like that. Get angry at me but you’re better than that.” Though she wasn’t entirely sure whether she believed it.

“Touched a nerve have I? You've only just met her. Thought you might have treated your friends better than some naive, little bitch.”

In that moment, a line was crossed and Robin found a courage she wasn't aware she possessed. “You know what you’re right. I did only meet her today. But I already know she’s worth more than you’ll ever be and goddamnit, she deserves better than being scrutinised by the likes of you! I deserve better.”

Her friends were all taken a little aback at Robin's anger, but they weren't quite finished. “Well, if that's how you feel, good luck getting back.” And with that, they turned and left her.

Damn it! 

She headed back into the park, the ink stamp on her hand allowing her back in, and slumped onto a nearby bench. Groaning in frustration, she scrolled through her phone, debating which friend or family member to call to pick her up. It wasn't impossible for her to get back via public transport, but the hassle of doing so wasn't something she particularly wanted to put herself through right now.

“Robin?”

She looked up at the sound of her name then, finding a young blonde woman standing to the side of her, her black and red flannel now worn over her t-shirt, the rook necklace still against the top of her chest. “Alice.”

She came and sat down beside her. “Did something happen? I thought you were leaving.”

“I was. But then... well, there were some heated words said and they refused to take me back. Good riddance.”

“We can take you home.”

“No, Alice, there's really no need. I'll be fi-”

“Ah,” – she put a finger to Robin's lips and the interrupted party looked at it, eyebrows furrowed, with a mixture of surprise and nervousness – “you told me which city you were from earlier, and it's on our way back. There's no way we're just going to leave you when I‘d be more than happy to take you back! Uh, I mean, ‘we’. Obviously,” she added hastily.

“Is there any point in me arguing?”

“Nope,” she answered. Her wide grin softened then. “Me and Papa were going to watch the fireworks tonight, before we left... if you'd like to join us.”

“Don't have much choice do I?” she quipped. Alice was about to remark back when she was interrupted by a growl from Robin's stomach. “Huh, didn't realise how hungry I was. Well, come on then.”

* * *

A final dodgems ride, last minute ghost train ride and acquisition of food later, and Alice and Robin were sat in silence, patiently waiting for the park's fireworks show to begin. Alice, having been as many times as she had, knew the perfect place to see them and had brought them both to a surprisingly empty area of grassy embankment.

“Nobody ever thinks of coming here. Everybody thinks it's too far away, but I’ve found it's just right,” Alice said, seeing Robin's look of scepticism at the choice of location. Alice's papa was a little further in front of them, to give them some space.

And so they waited. Mostly in silence, except for the quiet brush of fabric when one of them shifted slightly and the one moment Robin sneezed.

But finally Alice broke the silence.

“Hey, Robin?”

“Hmm?”

She shook her head. “Actually, forget it, it's nothing... it's just, thanks. Again.”

“I told you, I loved spending the day with you.”

Alice smiled briefly. “You asked if I was ok when we passed the tower. Truth is...” - she hesitated, licking her bottom lip in thought - “it hit a bit close to home. When I was younger I felt trapped for... well, reasons. I've never liked Rapunzel’s tower since then.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

“It's all fine now.” She sighed a little, before looking back up to Robin, her expression soft if a little serious. “I don’t really know why I’m telling you this. But you’re the first new person in so long that I feel I can talk to. It sounds absolutely mad.” 

“You know they say the best people are?”

“Think my papa’s told me that before.”

“Well, he’s right. And sometimes people come into your life, out of nowhere, and change it. Even if it’s just in little ways.”

“Or in bigger ways,” Alice suggested, smirking a little and raising both eyebrows. 

“There’s a chance.” 

“We’ll see.” She winked.

Alice looked to the stars, or at least the sky; living this close to a urban city meant there were few stars to see. Robin on the other hand glanced her eyes down to the ground, not to look at anything in particular, but to ponder what had just happened.

Was Alice...?

No. No, she couldn't be. Of course not. How silly of her. There was no way Alice was flirting with her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a firework going off, and as she cast her gaze to the skies, she saw Alice in the corner of her vision, even in the relative dimness, mesmerised by the display.

She knew then, that even if she never saw Alice again, that their adventure would stay in her mind for the rest of her life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this fic, and I do very much have some more AU's planned, some of which will probably be oneshots, others I intend on being multichapter (once I eventually get round to writing them).
> 
> I am also aware that pronouns aren't necessarily gendered, hence some lesbians etc using he/him, but most would assume she/her = woman, so that's what I went for in regards to Robin assuming Alice's ex.
> 
> My next upload should be 'Happy Accidents': Chapter 5, though when that'll be I'm not completely sure.
> 
> Feel free to comment :)


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